An isolation recipe book from ten food-loving creatives

Over the past couple of weeks, cooking has become a bit of a saviour. With little else to do, deciding what to eat three times a day (with plenty of snacks in between) has become a guiding factor for this new temporary everyday.

Despite the fact that our team is now apart, a constant thought and topic of discussion has been food. And considering how nosey we are about everything in a creative’s life already, we thought it was about time we found out their eating habits too.

Below a range of creatives share their favourite recipes to cook at home, whether it’s a quick and easy pasta pulled together with ingredients by Mirko Borsche, a comforting cauliflower dish (cauliflower seems very popular at the moment) from Sam Youkilis or Ronan McKenzie, to a famous recipe causing shallot shortages in the US from Charlotte Trounce, each recipe is filled with lazy comfort.

Tuck in!

Designer, Mirko Borsche

Spaghetti aglio olio

I chose this recipe because it’s super simple and delicious. There is actually no right or wrong when it comes to the quantity of the ingredients you use, and in what order, which I also like. You don’t have to think, it almost cooks itself.

Ingredients

• 300g spaghetti
• 8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4-5 large cloves garlic, sliced
• 3 sliced red peppers
• Freshly grated parmesan
• Fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• Breadcrumbs

Method

• Boil salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions.
• Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until browned and toasted, for about three to five minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• Heat remaining six tablespoons of olive oil. Add garlic and red pepper, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden – not too dark as the garlic gets very bitter and ruins the sauce.
• Add pasta, parmesan and half a cup reserved pasta water. Cook, stirring constantly, and add remaining water as needed, until the cheese has melted and the desired consistency is reached.
• Serve immediately with breadcrumbs, garnished with remaining parmesan and parsley.

Illustrator, Joana Avillez

Canned Sardines on Toast When You Are a Sardine in a Can

People are always grossed out by sardines and anchovies, but I eat them constantly, not just in quarantine. They’re so much better for you than tuna or other big, sad, mercury-infused fish. And surely you can identify with their situation, as you are also currently packed like a sardine, in your apartment, head to tail with whomever you normally share your life – memories included.

Ingredients

• 1 can of tinned sardines (I like Bela Portuguese sardines and Wild Planet – especially with marinara sauce)
• Toasted bread or Wasa crackers
• Olive oil
• Lemon
• One clove of garlic
• Onion, thinly sliced
• Tomatoes, if you have
• Parsley or basil or lettuce
• Kosher salt
• Pepper

Method

You don’t really need a recipe to eat sardines, technically just a fork if the situation is dire enough, and even that is not truly necessary.

Open the can. Rub the clove of garlic on the toasted sourdough or a thick cracker. Add butter and tomatoes if you have them. Place deboned sardine on its new bed. Drizzle olive oil and add seasoning.

Sometimes I place an entire lettuce leaf on top so I can hold it like a sandwich without sardining my fingers. Add lemon! Add anything! You can also heat up the sardines in a pan with chilis. But why make more dishes to clean?

Eat over the sink, like you would a dripping ripe summer plum.

Photographer, Ronan McKenzie

Roasted Vegetables, inspired by seasonings I bought in Tel Aviv

I’ve decided to write about this recipe because it’s one I make regularly at home as it’s so easy and tasty.

I started to cook with Middle Eastern seasonings after a trip to Tel Aviv a few years ago. I was blown away by the flavours and freshness of everything I ate, and bought some seasonings in one of the markets. I didn’t really know what they were, but the seller poured them into my hand and encouraged me to lick them raw – even then they were so good.

This recipe is an adaptation of a couple; a beetroot recipe I tried first from Gousto, and an Ottolenghi cauliflower recipe, but I make it with variations of vegetables regularly and enjoy it every time.

Ingredients

• 1 cauliflower 
• 120g golden couscous
• 3 carrots
• 120g cooked beetroot 
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 1 tsp red harissa
• Blanched almonds (a handful)
• Coriander bunch (small)
• Butter (dairy free optional)
• A small block of feta, or coconut yoghurt
• Ras el hanout
• Baharat
• Paprika
• Black pepper
• Sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 220°C.
• Wash your cauliflower and chop off the long leaves. 
• Butter your cauliflower, and season generously with baharat. Once your cauli is covered in baharat, lightly season with paprika, black pepper and sea salt. Put in oven. 

Take a break: your cauliflower needs at least 90 minutes in the often to soften up and be ready, so sit down and have a cup of tea while you wait. 

• Once your cauli has been in the oven for about 30 minutes, the seasonings should be nicely toasted, so pour a little olive oil on top of it, cover in foil and place back in the oven. 

Take a break: until your cauli has been in the oven for another 30 minutes. 

• Cut your carrots and beetroot (making sure to save the liquid from the beets) into batons and place in an oven dish. 
• Sprinkle your carrot and beetroot with plenty of ras el hanout, paprika, sea salt, black pepper and a little turmeric. Place them in the oven with the cauliflower. 
• Add your vegetable stock cube to 200ml of water, and mix in your harissa. Pour into a bowl (or pot with a lid) and add your couscous, then cover and set aside. 
• Once your beetroot and carrots have been in the oven for about 20-25 minutes they should be beginning to soften. Take them out and add your honey on top, and if you’re adding feta, crumble it on top now, then return to the oven for another five to ten minutes. 
• Take a frying (or any non-stick) pan, and toast your blanched almonds over a medium heat for five to ten minutes or until nicely browned. 
• Take everything out of the oven; your cauliflower should be nice and juicy. At this point, I like to pour about a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle a little more salt and black pepper on top. 

Side of Beetroot Vinegar 

• Pour your beetroot water into a small bowl. 
• Add about two to three tablespoons of olive oil, and a tablespoon of red wine vinegar. 
• Grind some salt, sprinkle some black pepper, and add your small bunch of chopped coriander. 

I always eat this at home with or without the cauliflower. With the cauliflower, it's an extra roasted pop of deliciousness for having friends around (which none of us is doing right now haha), but without it’s a quick 30-minute meal. I like to serve with couscous at the bottom, topped with my beetroot and carrot, with some sprinklings of my almonds and beetroot vinegar poured on top. I serve the cauliflower whole in the middle of the table for people to tear and enjoy as they like. You may want to throw some coconut yoghurt on top too if you’re not using feta. I only really drink water at the dinner table, but my boyfriend always enjoys a beer with this meal.

Design studio, Córdova Canillas

Cua de Bou (Oxtail)

We have chosen this recipe because it’s a classic of the Catalonian kitchen, indeed part of the “Corpus del patrimoni Culinari Català” (Corpus of the Catalan Culinary Heritage). We like the transversality of this dish because you can taste it in the most expensive restaurants, or the most underground, or at grandma’s house. In a way it is everywhere – but not easy to find.

Ingredients

• 2 kg oxtail, chopped into 4-6cm chunks —ask your butcher to do this
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions
• 2 sticks of celery
• 4 medium carrots
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• A few sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 4 fresh bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• 2 heaped tbsp plain flour
• 2 x 400g cans of plum tomatoes
• 275 ml pinot noir red wine
• 1l organic or homemade beef stock

Side dish

Roasted baby potatoes with rosemary.

Wine

A very good pairing with this is this ugly but amazing natural wine: Les Deux Terres, Jaja, Merlot, Languedoc-Roussillon, 2018.

Córdova Canillas also run daily food recipe account, Taula.

Method

• Preheat the oven to 220ºC. Place a large roasting tray in the oven to preheat as well.
• Remove the hot tray from the oven, then add the oxtail. Season and drizzle over a lug of olive oil, then toss to coat and place in the hot oven for around 20 minutes, or until golden and caramelised.
• Meanwhile, trim and halve the onions and celery. Peel then chop the carrots into 2cm pieces, then place into a large ovenproof casserole pan over a medium-low heat with one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
• Pick, roughly chop and add the thyme and rosemary leaves, then add the bay leaves and cook for around 20 minutes, or until soft and sweet, stirring frequently.
• Meanwhile, remove the oxtail from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 170ºC.
• Add the cloves and flour to the veg, stirring well to combine, then pour in the tomatoes and wine. Add the oxtail and any roasting juices, cover with the beef stock and stir well.
• Turn the heat up to high and bring to the boil, then pop the lid on and place in the hot oven for around five hours, or until the meat falls away from the bone, stirring every hour or so and adding a splash of water to loosen if needed.
• Remove the pan from the oven and leave to cool for about ten minutes.

Illustrator, Joey Yu

Pink Pesto Pasta

Pesto pasta, to me, is synonymous with the sort of lazy homegrown meals of springtime that sort you out when you’re in a funk. It makes me think of sitting in the garden eating it. On a picnic blanket. Ridiculously large bowl. Toes in daisies, a book on the go.

This pink version is much needed right now, for when you’re seeking comfort and simplicity but need something a little more visual to feast on. I assembled it earlier on in the year in the bleakest depths of January, home alone and hungry for colour. This was the meal to do the trick, with its luminous beet pink.

The pesto recipe is quite flexible depending on what you can get your hands on, so for times like this, it’s easy to work around. This recipe will make enough so you can store it in a jar and it will keep for a while.

As a serving suggestion, I’d recommend keeping it themed. Perhaps a raspberry cordial, a glass of rosé. A lightly tossed salad with oil on the side, if you like. Lay a blanket on the floor and have an indoor picnic?

Ingredients

• 50g pine nuts (can be swapped with cashew, walnuts etc) 
• 80g basil
• 50g parmigiano or pecorino cheese
• 150ml olive oil
• 2 beetroots
• 1 red pepper
• Lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• Sugar
• Salt
• Pepper
• Pasta of your choice (I like a wholewheat spaghetti)

Method

• Chop up beets (I like to dice chunkily) and boil in salted water for about 20 minutes, until they start to soften.
• Take them out and place them on to a lined tray with the chopped red pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed garlic to roast until they look ready around the edges. This will take around 15-20 minutes.
• Start boiling your pasta, always with a good shake of salt! While that’s on the go, you can move over to making the pesto.
• Blending order!!! The rule of thumb is the hardest ingredients to softest for best blending. Nuts first, until grainy. Then chopped red pepper and beets, until a paste. Then add basil leaves, salt and pepper, garlic and olive oil bit by bit, so it folds through the mixture like a gentle stream. Take your grated cheese and blitz that in with a spoon of sugar to taste (I think it works with the beet).
• The secret trick? When your pasta is cooked, save a little of the pasta water to blitz into the pesto – it adds a little starchy hold to the sauce and thickens it up.
• To serve, add pepper, grated cheese, a generous extra drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice on top. With pesto, there are no exacts for measurements. You can keep adding, and adding, until you’re sated.

Illustrator, Charlotte Trounce

Alison Roman’s Shallot Pasta for The New York Times

I like to eat this on the sofa, with a glass of wine.

I first cooked this dish for a farewell supper with my siblings, before a recent move to Edinburgh. It was the perfect antidote to a day of meticulous packing, heavy lifting and teary goodbyes. Since arriving in Scotland and settling into our new home (or, as much as possible during a pandemic), shallot pasta has become a firm favourite. Despite how often we’ve eaten it (and it has been often), it still sparks joy every time.

I’ve heard rumours that it led to a shortage of shallots in America and I can believe it. It’s jammy, deliciously sweet and salty, and if you can resist eating it by the spoonful — it can last for at least two, maybe three meals, making it perfect for a lockdown.

Ingredients

• A 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
• 6 large shallots, very thinly sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, 4 thinly sliced, 1 finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• 1 can anchovy fillets (about 12), drained
• 1 tube of tomato paste (puree)
• 280g pasta
• 1 cup (120g) parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
• Flaky sea salt

Method

• Heat olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots and thinly sliced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have become completely softened and caramelised with golden-brown fried edges – it should take 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the red pepper flakes and anchovies. (No need to chop the anchovies; they will dissolve on their own.) Stir to melt the anchovies into the shallots – about two minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent any scorching, until the tomato paste has started to cook in the oil a bit, caramelising at the edges and going from bright red to a deeper brick red colour – about two minutes. Remove from heat and transfer about half the mixture to a resealable container.
• To serve, cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water until very al dente (perhaps more al dente than usual). Transfer to pan with remaining shallot mixture and one cup pasta water. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling the skillet to coat each piece of pasta, using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any bits on the bottom, until the pasta is thick and the sauce has reduced and is sticky, but not saucy – three to five minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine the parsley and finely chopped garlic clove, and season with flaky salt and pepper. Divide the pasta among bowls, or transfer to one large serving bowl, and top with the parsley mixture and some more red pepper flakes, if you like.

Charlotte is also running a project currently, Table for One, sharing illustrations of her meals on Instagram.

Photographer, Sam Youkilis

Gochujang Whole Roasted Cauliflower

The recipe was passed along by my good friend Sebastian who runs a favourite coffee shop, Prolog, in Copenhagen. It requires very little from the pantry and the only difficult part is a bit of patience.

It takes over an hour to fully cook, but the low heat and constant lacquering yields a savoury, spicy and slightly sweet head of cauliflower with a crispy exterior and tender centre.

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower (leaves removed)
• 2 tbsp gochujang (can supplement with kimchi paste or liquid if you have that to hand)
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1/2 tsp honey
• Salt
• Water to mix

Method

• Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F).
• Combine gochujang, soy, olive oil, honey and water to a consistency which you can brush over the head of cauliflower.
• Line a sheet tray or cast iron pan with tin foil to catch any drippings.
• Use a brush to fully coat the head of cauliflower with the paste reserving enough to brush four to five times as it roasts.
• Roast the cauliflower – removing every 15 minutes to brush more paste – until it is fully cooked and the outside starts to brown (a little over an hour).

Animator Parallel Teeth

Wacky Cake

This recipe has been passed down through generations of the Wallace Clan in the Tararua District, Aotearoa. It is known for its rich chocolate taste and dense consistency. Although the original origin of the name is unknown, it may originate from the peculiar ritual of baking the cake in a roasting dish. A year-long treat, it is consumed in higher quantities around the Vernal Equinox at large gatherings during “smoko”.

Ingredients and Method

Sift and mix dry ingredients in a roasting dish:

• 3 cups self-raising flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda

Add and mix in with wooden spoon the following:

• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 2/3 cup salad oil
• 2 tbsp malt vinegar
• 2 cups cold water
• Bake at 180°C for about 40 minutes

Chocolate Icing:

• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 3 cups icing sugar
• 3 level tbsp cocoa
• Boiling water

Melt butter in a pot and add a little of the icing sugar. Mix in the cocoa and remaining icing sugar.

Add boiling water until icing is the right thickness.

Illustrator, Subin Yang

Curry (in between Japanese, Korean, and Thai curry)

This is my favourite home recipe for when I want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. It’s based on a Korean celebrity’s curry recipe, and he was inspired by Japanese manga. As someone who grew up in New Delhi, India, I’ve been fond of all sorts of curry – daal, butter chicken, Japanese curry, Thai curry, Korean curry – you name it. I decided to look up a recipe when I didn’t know a lot of curry places in Portland, OR and came upon this recipe. It was a convenient recipe since real curry dishes require lots of spices but you can just get a packet of curry powder from Asian grocery stores and it tastes fine.

Ingredients

• 400ml unsweetened or basic coconut milk
• Curry cubes (they sell these in Asian markets and are denser than just curry powder), OR use curry powder (but you probably also need to get a 500g bag of it in an Asian market since you need to use at least half the bag for the flavour)
• Dark chocolate (ideally high in cacao percentage and with no additives)
• Any kind of meat you’d like to add – if not, no need, but I usually add: 200g pork shoulder
• Any kind of veggies you’d like to add – usually I add: 2 potatoes, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 7 mushrooms, 1/2 zucchini, or bell peppers and broccoli, etc
• Salt and pepper
• Rice

Method

• Turn on your rice cooker and make some rice, or microwave some!
• Dice all the ingredients to the size you like in your curry – I like to cut them into bitesize pieces.
• Using a pot, start cooking the hard vegetables and meat (potatoes, carrots) with some oil on a medium heat until they are slightly softer.
• Then, add the rest of the vegetables and pan fry for a couple of minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper if you’d like.
• Add the whole can of coconut milk and then, using the empty can, fill up half of the can with water and include it in the pot as well.
• Add a cube or two of curry powder into the pan depending on how thick you’d like the flavour to be.
• Also add a chopped up block of dark chocolate to the curry. This will add a very deep flavour to the curry!
• Keep it on a low to medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes or so, keeping watch on the pot and stirring it every once in a while so that the heavier ingredients don’t burn at the bottom.
• Try tasting the curry – if you’d like add more salt, curry powder, pepper or even some spicy red pepper powder to your liking (I add a half teaspoon since I like spicier curry).
• Serve it on top of some cooked rice! This tastes great with some kimchi and it also looks great if you add a boiled egg cut in half.

Photographer, Luke Evans

Baby Bum Bread

I was meant to be in Japan right now, but Covid-19, of course, put a stop to that. So, Baby Bum Bread is based on a northern Japanese bread called Hokkaido Milk Bread.

It’s a fast, slightly sweet, and buttery bread which is comprised of two parts: the tangzhong, and the main dough. Tangzhong is similar to a roux, but uses water instead of a fat. It sounds complex but it’s literally just mixing flour and water over a heat. The benefit of that is the flour becomes more hydrated very quickly, which makes a softer and fluffier loaf that keeps for longer, great for when flour is scarce at the moment.

This is my partner Paul’s favourite bread I make, which I sort of hate because it undercuts all my sourdough efforts that take a week to make. Apparently it reminds him of being a kid when commercial yeasted bread came in and they were unbelievably soft, smothered in butter and jam. I think right now everyone wants a dose of stodge. 

Ingredients

For the Tangzhong:

• 20g strong white bread flour
• 50g water
• 50g milk

For the Dough:

• 350g strong white bread flour
• 6g (1 tsp) salt
• 7.5g (1 sachet or 1 tbsp) active dried yeast
• 130ml milk
• 40g (2 tbsp) honey
• 1 egg
• Tangzhong from above
• 25g butter, at room temperature

A note about flour: Use whatever white flour you have in on the shelf, even if it’s old. I would highly recommend strong white bread flour, but you can use plain flour here. Plain flour will require significantly more kneading and will be much more slack and difficult to handle than if you use strong white bread flour, but it will work. 

If you need flour, please check local shops and bakeries, many are currently supplying surplus flour. Alternatively buy direct from the millers like Shipton, Gilchester’s, and Marriages. They do have a long lead-time at the moment though. I also wouldn’t recommend using any wholegrain or gluten-free substitutions here.

Method

• In a medium saucepan, whisk together the flour, water, and milk for the tangzhong.
• Over a medium-high heat, continually whisk until the mixture thickens and becomes a smooth paste.
• Turn off the heat, and transfer the paste into a bowl or container. Cover it and place in the fridge to cool to room temperature. This could take a couple of hours.
• After the tangzhong has cooled, make the main dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and active dried yeast.
• Add in the milk, honey, egg, and the cooled tangzhong. If mixing by hand, start by mixing everything together with a large spoon or spatula until it comes together in a shaggy ball. If you’re using a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment and mix on low speed until the dough comes together.
• Add in the butter and begin the kneading process. This is a sticky dough at first. If mixing by hand, wet your hands first to prevent too much sticking. You’ll want to knead in the bowl for about five minutes until the dough becomes slightly smooth, then tip out onto a dampened or buttered countertop and continue to knead for another ten to 15 minutes. When you think you’ve kneaded it enough, knead for another five minutes. Remember: wet dough will not stick to damp hands or counter. If using a stand mixer, mix on medium speed for about ten minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
• Round up the dough into a ball, leave it in a large lightly oiled or buttered bowl and cover.
• Leave in a warm (22-30°C) place for about one and a half to two hours until doubled in size. Inside an oven with only the light on is a good warm place.
• Tip the dough out onto a lightly buttered surface and divide roughly in half.
• Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough halves into two strips that are slightly narrower than the width of your loaf pan. About 1cm thickness. If you don’t have a rolling pin you can stretch the dough or use a buttered wine bottle.
• Gently roll up these strips so they form two little fat logs.
• Place each of these side-by-side in loaf pan, smooth side up.
• Cover and let proof for another 45 minutes or so until the dough has just reached over the top of the pan.
• Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
• Lightly brush the top of the risen dough with milk.
• Bake in the centre of the oven for about 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and brush the top lightly with melted butter.
• Wait for five minutes for the bread to cool in the pan, before removing the bread from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Luke is also running sourdough classes during this time of uncertainty. They are super simple, very satisfying to watch, workshops, hosted over his Instagram stories.